V. IS.

2. He is Christ, i. e. the Anointed. Now it must be acknowledg'd, that our Lord enjoyns this Title alfo in common with many others. Μὴ ἁπλθε τῶν Χρισῶν Ms. Touch not my Chrifts, or mine anoin- Pfal. 10s. ted, fays God to the Enemies of the Patriarchs; and the High Priests, the Prophets, and Kings of Ifrael, were stil❜d the Chrifts, or the Anointed of the Lord. But tho' these things are so, yet it must be likewife confefs'd, that He has this Name in a much more eminent sense than they. For Aaron was anointed only as eLev.8.12. High Priest, f Elifba only as a Prophet, f1 King. and David at fartheft but as a King and 19. 16. Prophet: But our Lord has his unction, as being all these three together: In Him did all their high Characters concenter, as in a Point: In him their divided Glories unite their Rays, and shine forth with an unparallel'd, fuperlative, unrivall❜d Brightness to the ends of all the Earth. He was the End of the Law, the Substance of its Shadows, the promifed Meffias, whom Mofes and the Prophets, foretold should come, as an High Priest, to make Expiation for Sin; as a Prophet, to guide our Feet into the Ways of Peace; and as a King, to rule B 3

the

the Nations with Judgment and Justice, for evermore. In fhort, all those other Chrifts, thofe Kings, thofe Prophets, those High-Priests, were but Types and Figures, faint Representations and dark Shadows of his most excellent Perfon: For he is not only a Priest, but suchba Priest, as hath an unchangeable Priesthood. Not only a Prophet, but the Inftructer, the Teacher, the Infpirer of all the Prophets: Not only a King, but that absolute and univerfal Monarch, which governs the whole World, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Which brings me to the

3. Title in the Text: He is the Lord. The Lord of Heaven and Earth; the Lord of Men and Angels; the Lord of Life, of Joy, of Glory. His Almighty Voice call'd the Primitive Matter out of the Abyss of Emptynefs and Nothing, and the confus'd, indigested Mafs, at this Command, obediently rang'd it felf into Beauty and Order. Nay, thofe Morning Stars, which fang together, thofe Sons of God which fhouted for Joy, when these things were done, are no lefs the Workmanship of his Hands, than these visible

and

b.Col.1.16.

and inferiour Beings. All things, faysg Joh. Ev. Saint John, were made by him; and 1. 3. without him was not any thing made that was made. Not any of the Heavenly Mansions, not any of their beauteous Inhabitants, not any of the Seraphims and Cherubims of Glory. This the Learned Apostle particularly afferts; By him, fays he, were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: All things were created by him: Were created by him, not in a Metaphorical, but literal Senfe: Not by way of Reformation, but by way of Formation. For where (I pray) are the Regenerated Principalities and Powers? Where the Recreated Thrones and Dominions? The good Angels never stood in need of a Renovation; they never degenerated from their original Purity, never deriv'd any Blemish upon their excellent Beauties; but have always, from the first moment of their Creation, unalterably mov'd in their Spheres of Holiness and Glory. For the Evil Angels, none was ever intended, 1 Ου δήπε Αγγέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται iHeb 2.16. He does by no means apprehend, or

lay

lay hold on the Angels, as they are running from him; does not stop them in their Flight, and bring them back again; but fuffers them to run away, and plunge themselves in the Everlasting Fire, which Sin has prepar'd for them. Neither therefore the Good, nor Evil Angels have any part in the New Creation; and confequently (I fay) they are here affirmed by our Apoftle, to be the Workmanship of his Hands in the Old or First Creation. Nay, He is not only the Efficient, but alfo the Fi*Col.1.16. nal Caufe of all Things. All things were created by him, and for him. Him therefore do the Virgins, the untainted Beings above, adore and love: With infinite complacency they contemplate his Divine Beauty, and fit and fing in the Sun-fhine of His Glory for ever and ever. Him do all the amiable Companies of Heaven attend," whetherfoever he goeth: They follow him with Songs of Praise in their Mouth, and with one Heart, and one Voice, açknowledge him to be the Lord. Thon Rev. 4.11. art worthy (fay they) O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou haft created all things, and for thy plea Jure they are, and were created. As at

firft his Almighty Fiat made all things out of Nothing, fo has it ever fince pre ferv'd them from falling into their Original Nothing again. He spake the Word, and the World was made; He is not yet filent, but every moment fuftains it by the fame Word of his Power. He is before all things, fays the fore-cited Apostle, and by him all Icol. 1.17. things confift. And in m another place, Heb.1.3. He is the brightness of his Fathers Glory, the exprefs image of his Perfon, and upholds all things by the word of his power. Thus great is the Perfon that comes to redeem us: Thus great the Majesty of Christ our Saviour. He is no lefs, than Jehovah himself, the Great and Mighty God, the Omnipotent Creator and Preferver of all things both in Heaven and Earth. He is the Lord, the Lord of Heaven and Earth; the Lord of Men and Angels; the Lord of Life, of Joy, of Glory.

But will God in very Deed vouchfafe to dwell with Men? Will he come down from his High and Holy Place, into the lower parts of the Earth, and there inveft himself with the Rags of Human Nature? Will he take the